Here is the remarkable, untold story of how five major Hollywood directors—John Ford, George Stevens, John Huston, William Wyler, and Frank Capra—changed World War II, and how, in turn, the war changed them. In a move unheard of at the time, the U.S. government farmed out its war propaganda effort to Hollywood, allowing these directors the freedom to film in combat zones as never before.
Sorry, couldn't improve on the blurb for a summary. This is a fascinating account which combines many of my interests - war trauma, movies and movie-making, art vs commerce vs propaganda, Hollywood history, and Jewish history - and it's comprehensive, meticulously researched, well-written, suspenseful, and great at making the characters and their milieu come to life.
The directors made the "Why We Fight" series, were wounded by shrapnel while shooting the battle of Midway live and in color, filmed the liberation of concentration camps, and both witnessed and created a brief but important era of documentary and fictional filmmaking unlike anything before or since.
Propaganda borders on a dirty word, so this account of propaganda efforts for a generally good cause (convincing Americans that Hitler was bad and ought to be fought) is genuinely thought-provoking and made me think of the entire concept in a new light. Is propaganda bad if it's true? Is it bad if it's for a good cause? What if the other side is making its own propaganda?
I'm listening to this as a 20-hour audiobook, which is why I'm doing a write-up before finishing it. The audio is excellent. There is also a three-part Netflix documentary, which I'm wavering on whether I should watch it now (so I have visual references) or after I finish (to preserve the suspense.)
The other reason I am writing about it now is that I have to share this with someone: I am in love with William (Willy) Wyler. IN LOVE. He is my new historical crush.
Of the five directors, Wyler was the only Jew. He was happily married to a woman from Texas and they wrote each other the sweetest letters. He was a perfectionist who did way more takes than was common at that time, but not tyrannical on the set; actors sometimes butted heads with him, but loved him for getting great performances out of them. He tried his best to get family members out of France and to America, but the US wouldn't let them in. When the government started accepting filmmakers into the military to make documentaries and training films, he volunteered, but all his filmmaking equipment got lost at sea and he couldn't cut through the red tape to get more.
At the point I'm at, an officer finally realized how awesome he was and wrote a stern memo praising him and scolding the military for not letting him do his thing; he's now attached to a squad of bombers, riding along in depressurized planes so cold his cameras keep freezing, and begging the pilot over the intercom to fly a little closer to the flak so he can get better shots.
He is the best and I love him. Admittedly he looks especially good in comparison with Huston (publicly cheating on his wife), Ford (dick-swinging credit-taker), and Capra (dick-swinging vaguely right-winger). I do like Huston as a character (he and Ford are my favorite filmmakers of the bunch) but man, he was a dick to his wife.
The other director I'm very fond of is George Stevens, who previously did very professional, very fluffy comedies. He too is stoically enduring a lot of difficulties to try to get to the front. I know generally where this is going (if you want a spoiler, just take a look at his filmography) and I am listening with my heart in my mouth. He is also so nice! He loves his wife and kids! He rescues a Jewish screenwriter from getting in court martial-level trouble! (The screenwriter was refused entrance to a club, thought it was anti-Semitism, and was about to start a brawl. Stevens rushed in to explain to him that it was an officers club and he was enlisted.)
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skygiants brought this book to my attention, years ago. Great rec, thanks!
Five Came Back: A Story of Hollywood and the Second World War
Sorry, couldn't improve on the blurb for a summary. This is a fascinating account which combines many of my interests - war trauma, movies and movie-making, art vs commerce vs propaganda, Hollywood history, and Jewish history - and it's comprehensive, meticulously researched, well-written, suspenseful, and great at making the characters and their milieu come to life.
The directors made the "Why We Fight" series, were wounded by shrapnel while shooting the battle of Midway live and in color, filmed the liberation of concentration camps, and both witnessed and created a brief but important era of documentary and fictional filmmaking unlike anything before or since.
Propaganda borders on a dirty word, so this account of propaganda efforts for a generally good cause (convincing Americans that Hitler was bad and ought to be fought) is genuinely thought-provoking and made me think of the entire concept in a new light. Is propaganda bad if it's true? Is it bad if it's for a good cause? What if the other side is making its own propaganda?
I'm listening to this as a 20-hour audiobook, which is why I'm doing a write-up before finishing it. The audio is excellent. There is also a three-part Netflix documentary, which I'm wavering on whether I should watch it now (so I have visual references) or after I finish (to preserve the suspense.)
The other reason I am writing about it now is that I have to share this with someone: I am in love with William (Willy) Wyler. IN LOVE. He is my new historical crush.
Of the five directors, Wyler was the only Jew. He was happily married to a woman from Texas and they wrote each other the sweetest letters. He was a perfectionist who did way more takes than was common at that time, but not tyrannical on the set; actors sometimes butted heads with him, but loved him for getting great performances out of them. He tried his best to get family members out of France and to America, but the US wouldn't let them in. When the government started accepting filmmakers into the military to make documentaries and training films, he volunteered, but all his filmmaking equipment got lost at sea and he couldn't cut through the red tape to get more.
At the point I'm at, an officer finally realized how awesome he was and wrote a stern memo praising him and scolding the military for not letting him do his thing; he's now attached to a squad of bombers, riding along in depressurized planes so cold his cameras keep freezing, and begging the pilot over the intercom to fly a little closer to the flak so he can get better shots.
He is the best and I love him. Admittedly he looks especially good in comparison with Huston (publicly cheating on his wife), Ford (dick-swinging credit-taker), and Capra (dick-swinging vaguely right-winger). I do like Huston as a character (he and Ford are my favorite filmmakers of the bunch) but man, he was a dick to his wife.
The other director I'm very fond of is George Stevens, who previously did very professional, very fluffy comedies. He too is stoically enduring a lot of difficulties to try to get to the front. I know generally where this is going (if you want a spoiler, just take a look at his filmography) and I am listening with my heart in my mouth. He is also so nice! He loves his wife and kids! He rescues a Jewish screenwriter from getting in court martial-level trouble! (The screenwriter was refused entrance to a club, thought it was anti-Semitism, and was about to start a brawl. Stevens rushed in to explain to him that it was an officers club and he was enlisted.)
skygiants brought this book to my attention, years ago. Great rec, thanks!Five Came Back: A Story of Hollywood and the Second World War
